Business News of Saturday, 12 January 2019

Source: thebftonline.com

$74m dustbin contract: Government did not have money to pay us - Zoomlion boss

Joseph Siaw Agyapong, Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies Joseph Siaw Agyapong, Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies

Contrary to reports that government has cancelled a $74m contract awarded to the Jospong Group of Companies to supply waste bins, the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Joseph Siaw Agyapong has maintained that rather government did not have money to pay his company.

At a Jospong Group of Companies press soiree in Accra on Thursday, he clarified the issues, stressing that government did not have money to pay and that there was no mischief in the whole deal.

“We had an agreement with government that we will not supply if they cannot pay. Government didn’t have money to pay, not that it was terminated-the contract elapsed by itself over the two year, if it was terminated, it could have been terminated in 2017-no, because the contract was still valid.

We did not supply because government did not have money and so naturally elapsed” he said.

US$10m Ecobank deal

According to Mr. Siaw Agyapong, they reached out to Ecobank with a proposal, which provided US$10m to enable the company kickstart the dustbin business on a commercial basis.

“Now we have Ecobank, we are doing it, you pay me service, I get money, so I lost nothing, no contract was terminated or cancelled, it is a mischief and it is just to tarnish the image” he added.

US$10m Ecobank deal

According to Mr. Siaw Agyapong, they reached out to Ecobank with a proposal, which provided US$10m to enable the company kickstart the dustbin business on a commercial basis.

“Now we have Ecobank, we are doing it, you pay me service, I get money, so I lost nothing, no contract was terminated or cancelled, it is a mischief and it is just to tarnish the image” he added.